Wrecking Ball
by amylutz1
Summary: When Amy breaks a valuable item in Tivan's collection, she agrees to become his assistant. He dismisses Carina in an angry fashion but how will Amy deal when she starts experiencing feelings for the Collector?
1. Chapter 1

My eyes fell as I realized the figurine I was holding shattered to the ground in pieces. Me and my friends were on a tour of the Collector's museum in Knowhere. His assistant who was leading to the tour grimaced as she turned back to me, looking scared for her life.

"Carina!" A thick, accentuated voice called out behind us. "What has happened?"

Carina's eyes were downcast as she tried to explain to the strange man I saw coming toward us.

He was an average height for a man, though the front of his tall white-blonde hair added another few inches. The rest of his hair was swept back into a neatly trimmed style that hid his pointed ears slightly. He had dark, bored eyes that showed hints of green in the bright lighting above them, accentuated by his naturally thick eyelashes and the not-so-natural black eyeliner that was applied in a style similar to her own. A dark stripe came down from his somewhat pouty lower lip to a point halfway down his chin. His clothes were rich and elegant, a luxurious spotted fur cloak attached to his broad shoulders with black leather pads and a fat gold chain upon which dangled a large cut ruby. I knew immediately who this man was. Taneleer Tivan, the Collector.

"Master…" She trailed off.

"Master…I told them not to touch anything!" Carina finally found her voice, protesting.

Tivan sighed deeply, coming over to Carina and stroking her face gently. "Carina, my Carina. There are to be no visitors in the museum unless they are making me an offer or they are buying from me. How many times must I remind you?"

Carina was looking at her master with undeniable horror and fear. Rightfully so, because he punched her in the eye the next second. Tears were streaming down her face as a fountain and she crumpled to the ground, shielding her face from another blow from him.


	2. Chapter 2

"No!" I interjected. "Stop!"

The Collector turned away from Carina slowly, his eyes blazing with rage. "I know you are technically my guests, but you would be wise to keep your mouth closed while I am punishing my attendant."

"It wasn't her fault, Mr. Tivan. It was mine. I broke your figurine." I explained. "Please…let me take her place as your attendant."

My friends were looking at me like what the fuck?

Tivan was looking at me with small shock written on his face but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

"Let her go. I will do her job from now on, if you just let her go."

He sighed. "If I let her go, you will come freely of your own will? Even after what you have seen between me and her?"

I hesitated for a moment but held my ground. "Yes."

Tivan released his grip on Carina's trembling form. A sigh escaped his lungs. "You are free, Carina."

Shaking and crying, Carina got to her feet and ran as fast as she could to get away from him. The museum was silent besides the fading sobbing of Carina as she ran out.

My friends were whispering behind me as I continued to face Tivan.

"Let me look at you." He began to circle me, taking note of my figure. "You are an attractive girl. There will be other tasks required of you besides cleaning…more private affairs."

"I'm not going to fuck you, if that's what you think." I snapped.

The Collector's temper spiked. "You will do whatever I see fit, or you can pay me for the items you broke!"

"So Carina was…" Then it dawned on me. Carina had been fucking Tivan so now I was expected to do the same whenever he wanted it.

Tivan sighed deeply, reigning in his anger. "My dear, you must understand. You are expected to do everything Carina did. You owe me a substantial amount of units for one item. I paid 100,000 units for that piece. It was a Krylorian ballerina, one of a kind…now lost forever."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't know anything about collecting things, sir. I apologize for breaking it, but I only intervened because you could've killed her."

"Tell me your name, my dear." He commanded. "If you will be my attendant, I shall need to know what to call you."

"Amy. Amy Lutz."

"Amy. Beautiful." My name glided off the Collector's tongue with delicacy. His voice was a harsh whisper as the breath left his lungs.

Tivan gazed at me seriously. "Your friends must leave, then you shall take on the task of becoming my new attendant."

He sighed, dismissing me. "I wish to see you in my quarters as soon as you have rid me of their presence."


	3. Chapter 3

Tivan sighed as he looked me over for a third time. "Thank you, my dear." He smiled, spreading his full lips into a thin line.

"For what?" I asked, confused.

The smile left his face as he released another heavy sigh from his lungs. "Amy, do you understand what you have done? Carina was causing me a lot of unnecessary stress…"

Tivan paused here, taking a sharp breath. "In taking her place, you have relieved me of this, my dear. I feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I can breathe again."

He gestured to his chest and out through his nose. "For this, I thank you."

My friends had cleared out of the museum about three hours ago by this time. Tivan also had ordered me to clean up the broken figurine I had caused.

"I'm pretty sure you could breathe before. I assure you I had nothing to do with how well you breathe." I said coldly.

This earned me another overwhelming sigh from Tivan's lungs. "Amy…"

I grimaced inwardly. This is it. He's going to punch me just like he did Carina!

I shielded my elbows and hands above my face and head so he couldn't hurt me. I waited but nothing came. Surprisingly Tivan didn't hit me. Instead he spoke to me.

"Amy, do not take that tone with me. I am your master now. You must respect and obey me. I'm sorry if this upsets you but we are in this together."

Tivan finished his short lecture to me with a sigh. He looked exhausted and drained.

I felt guilty for Tivan. "Is there anything I can get you?"

He seemed to cheer up at my words. "Yes, my dear. You can get me my pack of smoking leaves. They are in my quarters. Also the Chardonnay by the bar in there."

After I retrieved both of them for him, Tivan smiled at me gratefully. "Thank you, Amy."

"I thought you were going to hit me." I piped up.

Tivan looked up at me from his newly lit cigarette composed of the smoking leaves. He sighed the smoke from his lungs, with the smell of the leaves filling the room.

"Come here, my dear."

I didn't trust him, so I sauntered over with caution.

"Why do you think I would hurt you?"

"You hit Carina. You knocked her to the ground…" I trailed off. I regained my courage to finish my sentence, however. "We all saw you attack her out of fury."

Tivan's gaze was fixed on my for what seemed like forever. He let out another few smoke rings, the smell on his breath as it withdrew from his lungs. "My dear…"

Tivan paused, breathing out more smoke. "You have nothing to worry about unless you disobey me."

I nodded, swallowing hard.

He held out a white gloved hand to touch my cheek tenderly, affectionately.

"Amy…" Tivan's silky voice whispered my name as he continued caressing my cheek.

"Mmmmmm…" I moaned as I leaned into his touch.

A few sudden, deep coughs from Tivan interrupted my warm reverie. Tivan's hand flew to his lips and he turned his head to redirect his coughing from me.

"Master?" I asked timidly.

Tivan turned back to me as he finished coughing.

"Master?" I repeated carefully, as not to anger him with my concern.

He coughed again. "Yes, Amy?"

His tone was cold.

"Are you okay, master?" I dared to ask.

No doubt having heard the fear that laced my voice, Tivan sighed deeply. "Yes, my dear Amy."

He turned back to me, a sad look crossing his features at the fear he detected in me. "Please do not fear me, Amy. You are different from Carina. You show concern for me and you actually seem to care for me. Those are traits I find rarely in my attendants, and also in my future companions."

"Please." He pleaded with me. "Do. Not. Under any circumstances, fear me."


	4. Chapter 4

Later that evening, I cooked spaghetti and meatballs for me and Tivan.

He smiled at me from across the dining hall table. "It Is nothing short of delicious, Amy."

Then his smile faded as quickly as it had come. "I have been doing some thinking, my dear."

I looked up in earnest.

Tivan sighed. "You are my most gracious attendant I have had the privilege of yet, Amy. Perhaps you deserve something for your concern for me yesterday."

"I broke your rare figurine." I spoke up. "I deserve to be your servant."

Tivan waved my words away. "Yes, you do. However the compassion you showed was kind. Thank you, my beauty."

"I didn't like that about you."

"What, my dear?"

"That you smoke. That stuff kills. Slowly but surely." I said dreadfully.

He looked at me in awe. "Do you realize what you are doing?"

"No." I replied.

"You are speaking out of place, Amy." Tivan said in a dangerous tone. "I would not do that again if I were you."

"I care about you. It may seem ridiculous because I've only been here a day, sir. But I don't know how to explain it other than I'm developing feelings for you." I admitted, my face going beet red at my confession to Tivan.

Something like shock crossed his face quickly but it vanished as soon as it appeared. "Amy."

"Nevermind." I stood up and began clearing the dishes to take to the kitchen.

As I reached for Tivan's dishes and silverware, his hand caught my wrist. "Look at me, Amy."

I refused to meet his eyes. Instead I asked haughtily. "Why don't you go smoke your lungs out?"

Tivan let go of my wrist and sighed loudly. "I will not stand for this behavior, Amy. I understand what is happening between us and that you care about me. After you have finished cleaning this mess up, I need to see you in my quarters. This impudence will stop."


	5. Chapter 5

After I finished clearing away the dishes I mentally prepared myself to face the wrath of Tivan.

With a heavy heart I walked the dreadful steps to his private chambers.

I felt the most intense gaze on me I'd ever felt in my lifetime.

A deep sigh from the corner of the gigantic room caught my attention. The room smelled of strawberries. The Collector held a cigarette composed of his smoking leaves.

Tivan crossed the room to me swiftly, his golden cape flowing behind him elegantly. "Amy, I owe you an apology."

He sighed. "I realize I let my temper get the best of me at dinner and I apologize sincerely, my beauty, for that."

"But…" Tivan continued, pausing to exhale a lungful of smoke. "About your confession to me at dinner…"

I swear to god, my heart was about to pound right out of my chest from the way this man made me so nervous.

"Why are you so concerned, Amy?" Tivan mused, I could not figure if he were speaking to me or himself.

"Are you worried that you may lose me?"

As I did not answer to keep him from striking me, Tivan sighed again. "You have my permission to answer me. Tell me…"

"-and I want the truth."

I felt the sobs start to rise in my throat but I controlled them. "I'm afraid that you are killing yourself with that stuff but I don't want to say anything because you're my master and I don't want you to hurt me."

"My beauty, I explained this already." Tivan sounded exasperated. "I won't hurt you. Do not fear me, please."

"As for this." He gestured to the cigarette. "It will not kill me. I have been smoking since the beginning of creation, practically. I do not age, I do not weaken, I do not become ill."

"I am an extremely powerful being, Amy. An elder of the universe." He sighed the smoke from his lungs slowly. "It will take much more than this to end me."

Tivan flashed a rare smile at me. "I hope I have put your heart and mind at ease, my lovely new assistant."

I returned his smile.


	6. Chapter 6

Tivan chuckled. "Do you feel better now that we have talked about this, my dear?"

I nodded.

He sighed. "I hope so. You are a rare gem to me."

"So how about you?" I summoned the courage to ask. "Have you always been alone with just one attendant at a time? You must need someone to care for."

Tivan let the smoke vent from his lungs. "I am content with my life."

"You don't seem too sure of yourself. You must get lonely. Anyone who has lived so long would." I insisted.

Something like hurt flashed in his eyes before it disappeared. "Cordelia, you would do well to remember your place here."

"But I want to know you, master."

Tivan sighed dramatically. "You may believe that you are in love with me, Cordelia but what would you be in love with? An old man with a vast collection and an obsession with gathering more items?"

"No!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"I would be in love with you for who you are not your collection."

Tivan shook his head and grabbed a nearby ashtray to put out his cigarette. "Cordelia, I do not feel as if speaking of matters of the heart at this late hour. I shall see you in the morning."

"You don't fight for love. You're terrified of it." I snapped coldly.

Tivan made his way swiftly to the museum. "Please leave."

"But Tivan-"

"Do not address me so informally!" Tivan thundered, a furious glint in his eyes that I had never witnessed before. "I am your master and you are my slave."

I crumpled to the ground and cowered in horror.

He seemed to regret letting his temper get the better of him because he softened almost immediately after his outburst.

Tivan sighed. "Forgive me, Cordelia. You did not deserve such cruelty from me."

I stood perfectly still in my spot on the floor.

He sighed again. "I will tell you about my past when I am ready. The time is most certainly not now."


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning,

I ignored Tivan as I did my cleaning and cooking breakfast. I had decided the night before that I had enough of our talks.

Sure, I still cared for him as my master. But I didn't want to give into him and the fact that I could fall for him.

Tivan caught on to my silent treatment of him and started doing the same to me.

That is, until I broke the champagne flute which I was carrying his piña colada in after the main breakfast course.

The piña colada exploded to the ground, shattering the very expensive glass flute into a million pieces of dangerous shards and crashing the genuine silver breakfast tray.

A deep sigh followed by a very annoyed huff fell from Tivan's lips.

He said nothing, just began snapping his fingers repeatedly and pointing to the mess on the marble floor.

I rolled my eyes and knelt down. "You could just say it."

Tivan sighed. "You cannot continue speaking to me in that way. How many times must I remind you?"

He struck a match nearby from the box on the dining hall table to light the smoking leaves he kept in his vest.

"Amy."

I shook my head and went into the kitchen to retrieve more cleaning supplies.

"I asked you a question, my dear." Tivan's irritated voice followed me into the kitchen.

I was on my hands and knees, reaching out to find the scrubbing pads inside the cabinet when I heard him clear his throat.

"Amy, why must you be so difficult? You are usually so compliant, and now you are acting as a belligerent child."

Tivan was over me, and I gasped at the sight. His unmistakable shiny shoes and the smoke coursing from his nostrils took me by surprise.

I gathered my courage and replied thickly. "Only because I am treated as such."

He sighed and lifted my chin up to make sure I looked at him. "I know how you feel about me. When will you stop fearing me?"

I shied away from his touch, and darted back for the broken glass. "Just don't…"

Tivan let out an exasperated sigh. "Amy, you can't hide away from me. You must face the truth. You are my servant and I am your master. That can be our only relationship."

"We're nothing." I said as I continued picking the scattered glass off the marble floor.


	8. Chapter 8

Tivan sighed deeply, releasing the smoke from his lungs suddenly. "That is not what you wanted to hear is it, my dear?"

I avoided his intense gaze over me at all costs.

Tivan sighed again. "Amy. We must face each other at some point. We must face this dilemma again. We cannot run from the inevitable forever."

He smiled down at me from above. "Do you want more from me?"

I kept my eyes on the floor, continuing to clean the mess.

"Amy, speak." Tivan commanded.

"I'm afraid I'm falling in love with you." I answered truthfully. "And then having you taken away from me."

He breathed out heavily. "Amy, my beauty, I told you. Nothing will happen to me."

"I'm still terrified of losing anyone I care about." I protested. "Including you, sir."

Tivan laid his cigarette down in an ashtray and tilted my head up. "Amy, I promise you that you will never lose me."

He then did something completely unexpected. He crashed his lips to mine and kissed me slowly, hungrily and pulled away after about a minute only to fill his lungs.

"Perhaps that shall convince you, my dear." Tivan said breathlessly.


	9. Chapter 9

Tivan sighed, and smiled at me. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

"Only a few days ago." I tried not to blush.

The Collector reached out and pulled a strand of hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. "You are more beautiful than Carina."

He pulled away just I began to savor his scent and touch.

"This cannot be…"

Tivan sighed, lamenting aloud to himself. "I cannot believe I have done this again."

"Master?" I asked cautiously.

He lit a cigarette, filling his lungs and puffing. "Yes, Amy, my dear?"

"Why-why is this wrong?" I asked quietly.

"It is not wrong, it is…" Tivan sighed loudly, searching for the right words. "It is inconceivable, my beauty."

"But why?" I asked, clearly becoming annoyed.

"Because you are my assistant." He replied coolly. "I would like to be with you very much, but you have a job to do. You must do as I tell you, that is not a husband or a lover." He exhaled, blowing out a smoke ring.

"That is not even a friend. It is inconceivable on many levels. I cannot do this to you, no matter how much I wish you belonged to me."

Tivan sighed and went over to the bar. He opened a bottle of champagne with a cork.

"I should do that." I remarked.

He shot me a glare. "You must move faster if you expect to serve me."

"You didn't even ask." I retorted.

Taneleer took a deep breath, pouring the champagne into a wine flute. "We need to talk. Perhaps the kiss was a mistake. I moved too soon for you, Amy."

"Why are you making this about the kiss when you obviously don't want me?"

He sighed heavily. "Of course I want you, my beauty. I have desires that any man has. I'm concerned that we aren't connecting together as we should if we're going to continue down this destination."


End file.
